A Long Way From Home
by Sirro134
Summary: James is sent on a mission with Q to China but it seems to be a little more complicated than they anticipated. (OC character introduced, no slash).
1. Chapter 1

James Bond was in China, not taking in the sites but looking at a way into a well guarded facility. Didn't they know they were supposed to make it easy for James to get in?

"How does a person get kidnapped and brought halfway around the world without getting noticed?" James asked finally.

"Private connections." Q piped up in James' ear along with the sound of tapping on computer keys.

"It would be a shame if something were to happen to those connections." Bond muttered under his breath.

"Just focus on the task at hand."

"Yes, sir." Bond mocked his quartermaster. He knew he shouldn't but he couldn't help it. Q should be getting some field experience, not directing him from a computer all the time. James snuck over to the door panel and noted that it was locked by a keypad.

"I could use a code to get in." James commented impatiently.

"Working on it. Don't get trigger happy just yet."

"I doubt that would work in my favor at this particular moment."

"5557600." Q listed off. James typed in the numbers. It accepted it. James said nothing and entered the corridor.

"The room you are looking for is on the left at the end of the hallway." James followed Q's directions and found the room he wanted.

"The boy's name is Mark, Mark Hollander. God, he's only 19." Q noted just before James busted the door down. James brushed off the dust and splinters of wood that had decided to land on his suit. When James entered the room, he found Mark curled up in a corner on a bench, trying to stay warm. Mark looked up at the man who just destroyed his door in shock. James saw a glimmer of hope shine in the young man's eye.

"What are you doing?" Mark asked, he backed up a bit.

"Rescuing you. Come on." James gestured to the empty door frame. Mark scrambled to get up and stood next to James.

"You're serious?" The boy's eyes widened.

"Yes, now come on!" Not needing to be told twice, he stayed close behind James, eager to get out of there.

"Your door trick set off an alarm; you've got a minute to get out of there without getting caught." Q commented in James' ear.

"Okay, _how_ are we going to get out?" Mark asked doubtfully, not seeing an easy way out.

"Working on that. Come on, this way." James ushered him to the right.

"There is a guard station and the other end of the hall; they will be here any minute."

"He's right." Q said.

"I have an idea." James saw some barrels near the wall and they read "caution, flammable" in Mandarin characters.

"Time to make that pen mightier than the sword." James commented, clicked it three times and ducked for cover. Mark watched and took up a hiding spot near Bond.

Boom

"Subtlety is not your strong suite is it?" Q commented, not amused. James smiled.

"Are you trying to get us noticed? They have guns you know!" Mark yelled.

"Come on, that's our exit." Someone yelled at them directly in a language Bond recognized little of. He turned around to see a man in an expensive suit surrounded by gunmen.

"Where do you think you are going?" The man in the suit asked. Mark immediately tried to get as far away from the man as possible, which wasn't easy where he was.

"I was planning to take a trip to the great wall, but I seem to be a bit held up."

"And my friend Mark here, you were going to take him without permission."

"Sneaking out of the house is all a part of that rebellious stage in life. Didn't want to deprive him of the opportunity." James smiled and checked his pocket for another pen.

"So smug, very common of the British. Always interfering with other people's business."


	2. Chapter 2

"When someone is stealing youth from our country it _is _our business." James returned coldly, he had found what he was looking for.

First click

"You should have stayed at home." The man in the suit said at last. He started barking orders at his men in Mandarin.

Second click.

The men approached them slowly, guns ready. Mark feverishly looked for an escape route but could not find one. He was a trapped animal.

"If you go to your left, you will have a better access to getting out of there." Q mentioned. James also noticed that there was still that flammable substance on the floor.

Third click.

James stuck the pen in one of the men's pockets and shoved him against the wall.

Boom

James grabbed Mark and they ran through the new hole in the wall. Angry shouts and gun shots followed them out as they both ran as fast as they could towards the exit. James checked to make sure Mark was okay and noticed that he was actually running faster than James. They reached the exit, dodging poorly aimed bullets and were chased by the guards outside. James stopped suddenly, flipped one of the guards and threw him into another group of them, slowing them down a little. Mark waited for James,

"Come on! They're coming-" Mark stopped suddenly. Mark became completely still and neutral in his expression.

"Mark?" James called, but Mark did not respond to James.

"Uh oh..." Q whispered.

"What's 'uh oh'? I don't like 'uh oh's'." James growled at Q.

"They were using him as a test carrier for a sort of nano bot technology. They are used to help-"

"I need the short version Q!"

"He's being controlled!" As Q said that, Mark ran towards James, no change in his expression.

"They just gave him commands, I assume, to kill you."

"After all I did for him." James searched for a safer route to take.

"It's not him; it's the nano bots controlling him. He is a lot faster and stronger than you 007, be careful!"

"Can – you- stop – him?" James huffed as he ran.

"I'm trying! But someone has a controller that is separate from the main computer. If that is destroyed then I can change him back."

"Where is the controller?" James dodged some confused guards and nearly escaped a punch for Marcus.

"A man in an expensive suite has it."

"Oh of course." James grumbled as he kept running out of hiding spots. He watched Mark from a safe place as the boy mechanically looked around for his target. James noticed that there was a resistance in the mechanics, like they were being delayed. James wondered if Mark was fighting it internally.

"What if I electrocuted him?" James asked suddenly.

"It might short him out but I'm afraid it might be very bad for Mark."

"Figured as much."

"Get that controller and we can end this."

"You can come give it a try if you'd like." James remarked as he barely escaped Mark's reaching arms.

"That sounded close." Q remarked.

"Too close for comfort, now if you could be quiet for a moment."

"Radio silence." Q said. James tried to think out a plan but he realized it was actually easier with Q's help. Not wanting to admit it aloud, he decided to go back in and destroy that controller.

With Marcus on the loose and a missing controller, James felt like he was losing his game. Normally, he could be in and out without too much difficulty and normally his rescue-ees didn't turn on him like a killer robot.

James saw Mark turn abruptly and head off. He was being given orders. 007 was safe for now.


	3. Chapter 3

James finally found his way to what appeared to be a make shift main hall and a light on in the office upstairs. There were no guards in sight. That was not a good sign for James, too easy.

He quietly went up the stairs and found the controller sitting on the desk in the office and the door was open. He noticed a map hanging in the office, a map of a village he had no idea where it was. He heard people coming towards him and found a hiding place.

The man in the suit was yelling angrily at his gunmen and then noticed the controller sitting on the desk unguarded and continued yelling at them for not putting it away. He took the controller and placed it into a secure suitcase. It was probably bulletproof.

Dang.

James was also out of exploding pens. Now what?

"007?" Q piped up in his ear again. James tapped his earpiece to acknowledge that he heard Q.

"The man in the suit has a suitcase and the controller is inside it." James tapped again.

"Can you get to it?" James tapped again for another yes.

"Good, in your phone, there is a program that deciphers locks like the digital one on that suitcase. It needs a good 20 seconds to get in and hack the suitcase." James tapped to confirm.

20 seconds. He could do that. He might get shot in the process but he could do it.

For Queen and Country right?

James leapt out of his hiding spot and shot two of the bodyguards. He jumped onto the suitcase and slammed his phone against it. The man in the suit grabbed him by the ankle and threw him off the table. James tried to punch him but the man's belly took the punch and the man smiled at James. Next thing he knew, James was being lifted and thrown across the table, knocking over the suitcase and his phone that he had left on it.

James grabbed the phone and kept it as close to the case as possible so that it could crack the case open. The phone beeped and James threw the suitcase at the man in the suit's face.

The man fell to the ground and the controller fell out of the case. The man in the suit lunged for it but James had a gun in his hand.

James fired his gun and ran out of the room.

The man in the suit had tensed up, expecting to get shot, but nothing happened. Instead, the controller in his hands was smoking. It was fried.

James could hear the man scream even though he was halfway out of the complex.

"Where is Mark now?"

"I think I've spotted him near the exit you made earlier."

"Let's hope I get there before he gets too far."

"James… there is something you need to keep in mind when you find him."

"What?"

"He's just had someone take over his body and use him to hunt the very person trying to get him out of there. He's not likely to be in a good mood."

"I'll just be my charming self then." James said wryly.

"That's precisely what I am afraid of." Q said.

"I'll go easy on him." James promised.

James found Mark wandering down the street, barefoot and cold. Fortunately, all the guards were focusing on the main building and were not searching the grounds yet. James came up behind him.

"Mark?" Mark spun around, he was scared. James couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor kid. Mark took a step back but seemed to relax a bit.

"Look, I am so sorry for what happened back there." He started but James put up his hand to silence him.

"Don't worry about it. I understand what happened. Those nano bot things were in control and not you."

"How do you know that?"

"I have a friend who was filling me in on your scenario while you were erm, looking for me." Mark breathed a long breath and looked away. He had shame written all over his face.

"You couldn't control it, I'm not mad at you. I just want us to keep moving so we don't get caught again." James put his hand on Mark's shoulder but Mark pulled away from it. He walked onward with his head down.

"I have a car waiting just around the bend there. Let's get you out of the cold at least." James offered. Mark nodded once but kept his head down. This was going to be a long trip back to the hotel.


	4. Chapter 4

James was going to go to the hotel but decided to make a stop at a clothing store beforehand. Mark looked at James curiously.

"Well, you don't want to be stuck with those the whole time do you?" He gestured at the now rags Marcus wore. Marcus was trying to figure James out.

"So are you a secret agent then?" Mark asked. James was glad that he was trying to make conversation at least. James alarmed the car and nodded. Mark smiled.

"Cool."

"Let's not go shouting it out hmm? Let's try this shop here." He noted the shop closest to where he parked. It was a men's shop that had suits and semi formal wear. Mark raised an eyebrow but followed James into it. Mark was not much of a shopper; he had normally just picked things out that sort of matched what he already had.

He picked up some dark jeans, a maroon t-shirt with some silver writing on it and went to try them on. They were a bit big, which was surprising to Mark, but he had probably lost some weight after all that time there in China. He went out to find James, mainly out of habit whenever he went clothes shopping. James looked at it and rolled his eyes. It was casual, perhaps a bit too casual for the agent's liking. He picked out some dressy shoes and a black vest to go with it. James laughed and told him to hurry up.

"Pick out a couple days worth or clothes. And pajamas. Then we leave." Mark nodded and picked out a few other sets of clothes and brought them to the counter. He habitually reached for a wallet but forgot he didn't have one. James handed the salesman a credit card and the man rang it through the register. It felt so strange to Mark being in an urban setting after being locked up as a lab rat for what felt like years. They left the shop with a few bags of clothes. Mark had been able to change into his new clothes before they left and discard the old ones.

"Thanks." Mark said as they headed to the car.

"You're welcome." James finally said and slid into the car. They headed to the hotel and went up to the room that Q had his equipment.

"Hello Mark, I'm Q." Q looked up from his computers. Mark instinctively stopped at the sight of all the computers; it reminded him of the lab he had been stuck in. He shook off the memory and said;

"Hi." There was an awkward pause then James lead him to a bed where he could put his things on.

"If there are three of us, do I get the couch? There are only two beds?" Mark asked. James laughed.

"Q doesn't like being in the same room with me when he sleeps so he sleeps on the hide-a-bed in there." Q glared at them from his spot on the couch.

"Why not?" Mark asked but realized he probably shouldn't have asked that sort of question.

"Yes Q, why don't you trust me?" James laughed.

"Because James is a gigolo that sleeps with just about anything that bats an eyelash at him." Q growled.

"And yet, you sit there behind your laptop." James noted.

"Because I'm not interested in the slightest!" Q hissed. Mark became uncomfortable with the conversation and tried to find something to distract himself with.

"He's not my _type_ anyways, though he is a bit feminine." James smirked. Mark laughed awkwardly.

"Mark, could I get you to come here please?" For some reason, Mark felt like he was being called to the principal's office. He put his bag down and looked over at the James. James nodded and he went over to the man with all the computers.


	5. Chapter 5

"Right, now I know this is not going to be something you're keen on right away, but I'd like to run some tests so I can get a good look at those nano bots and make some headway of deprogramming them."

"Deprogram them?" Mark asked. He was not eager at all to do more tests.

"Yes, I'm going to decommission them so that no one can take over like that again." Q said calmly. Mark's instincts told him to run but his brain told him to stay put. He looked at James again. James didn't seem to object which is what Mark needed to see. He trusted James, but he didn't trust himself.

"Okay." Mark mumbled and sat on a free chair. Q got to work, setting up programs and fixing up little devices so that he could get a reading on the nano bots. Mark could feel anxiety growing in his stomach but he did his best not to show it.

Q placed one device on his arm and another on his head. He could feel his heart pumping faster. Mark twitched his leg to rid himself of some of the anxiety.

"Q, maybe we should give him some time to relax before jumping into these tests of yours." James commented from the edge of his bed. Q looked at James.

"But we need to make sure that they are decommissioned as soon as possible or they might be able to find us using them." Q protested.

"I'm alright, really." Mark said. Even he wasn't convinced with what he heard. "I don't want to put you guys at any more risk with the nanos telling them where we are. Or whatever." That sounded a bit more confident.

"If you need to stop just let us know." Q looked Mark in the eye. Mark nodded and looked away. A needle pricked his arm and he did his best not to flinch. He was in front of two MI6 agents after all; he couldn't look like a sissy in front of them. Q did multiple tests on the computer, simulation after simulation and no luck trying to hack into their system.

"They are so thick! Bloody thing makes no sense!"

"Have we found something the great Q cannot hack?" James said in mock horror. Mark bit his lip.

"This is even more complicated than Sliva's stupid little hack that he hid on his computer. This one is constantly changing without marker that makes any sense!" Q was really getting frustrated and was almost banging his keyboard. A while later, Q nearly jumped out of his seat.

"I got it! Yes!" He typed in some keys and looked at Mark. Mark felt something happen, but it wasn't good. Q's face suddenly turned from glad to gloom in a matter of seconds.

"Oh no…" he whispered. James immediately jumped up and came over to where Q was.

"What?" he demanded. Q looked over at James with a frightened look on his face.

"The code I put in activated a virus. A virus that is going to kill Mark within 12 hours."

"How do you know that?" James asked helplessly. Q showed them a computer screen with a countdown on it. Mark stared at it and a chill ran through his whole body. He was panicking but didn't know what to do.

"Can you stop it?" Mark managed to ask.

"I'll try my best but it is not going to be easy."

"Well then get to it!" James demanded. Q became a bit flustered but began typing away at two different keyboards.

"Are you alright?" James asked.  
"What do you think? I was just told that after being held captive for over a month I'm going to die in 12 hours!" Mark stood up and faced James, monitor wires falling to the floor.

"How would you feel if you were given a chance to go home and suddenly having it snatched from you?" James took a step forward.

"I have." James answered darkly, "Many times." He stared Mark in the eye for a long minute and walked away to the little kitchenette. Mark tried to calm himself down and sat down again.


	6. Chapter 6

"I NEED THE DAMN KEY!" Q yelled after an hour of typing away and losing to the virus.

"What key?" Mark asked. Q took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"This virus is one that has a key to unlock the patterns of the virus so that I can break it, basically it would uncoil from the constant spirals it keeps giving me and lay out the program to shut it down. But I don't have the damn key!"

"What kind of key is it?"

"The key is a legend that matches up all the different combinations this thing is giving me and won't make any sense unless I have it. Some use a song or a person's name or…" Q trailed off and put his glasses back on. Mark tried to remember anything that would be useful.

"Well he always went on about how the British would be their own destruction. He kept going on about different events in our history that affected the Chinese community and ruined families."

"What events did he mention in particular?" James asked.

"I can't remember, they all began to blur together after a while."

" 'the British would be their own destruction,' " Q murmured. He began looking up historic accounts online that were about Chinese immigrants and cross referencing them to the Chinese databases, that had been translated into English for him.

"Any of this popping out at you?" Q asked quickly.

"No, he talked more about um, a small village having its children taken from it and being murdered. I can't remember the name of it!" Mark wanted to punch something.

"I'll bet it's the name of that damn village he had a map of in his office." James commented.

"Can you remember the name of it?!" Q demanded.

"Give me a minute!" James hissed.

Time moved on and no progress came of the program hacking. Q was getting more deshelved as time went on. Mark was not doing so well either. He began to feel like the energy was being zapped out of him, like he was getting a cold. In a sense he was, getting a cold virus that is. He really began to notice it when he went to use the washroom and fell over onto the floor. James hoisted him up and dragged him back to the couch.

"I'm fine." Mark managed to say.

"Oh I'm sure you are." James answered sarcastically.

"Jus' need to..." but he never completed his statement because he fell unconscious and the floor rushed up to meet him.

"Dammit Q we need to do something!"

"I'm working on it! Unless I get that name I can't do anything!"

"I'm going to go back and see if I can get that name."

"You mean go on a suicide mission?"

"It's not s suicide mission, it's in and out." James went to his bed and loaded his gun.

"The security will be on high alert now that one of their subjects has escaped. And there is no way to know if that is the right keyw-"

"What would you suggest, hmm? Stay around here and watch the boy die?!" James pointed at Mark unconscious on the couch beside Q.

"I've seen enough death Q, I'm not about to just stand by and watch someone slip away when there is something that can be done about it!" James stood there, looking at his shocked quartermaster.

"Just be careful." Q looked back to his computer screen. James went to retrieve his gun, backups, and earpiece in case he needed Q's help again (not that he'd admit to this).

"Oh James, one last thing." Q handed James a box. Three exploding pens. "Those are my last ones."


	7. Chapter 7

James guessed that Q just shut off the only air supply. James quickly took the opportunity to leave the room and shut the door behind him, leaving Kangning in a room with little air. Kangning really began to panic now. He ran over to the door and began banging on it. The lights shut off again and when they came back on, Kangning was looking a little blue.

"Q!" James yelled out, hoping Q would hear him.

"I'm not going to let Mark die beside me James. I've seen enough people die to last me a lifetime!"

The lights shut off again. James was getting a bit nervous about this. What if Q let him die in there? How will the report look?

"Open the door Q!" James demanded. He'd forgotten it was key padded when he closed it.

No response.

"Q!"

Still no response.

"Dammit Q!" He grabbed one of his exploding pens and placed it near the hinges of the door. Just as he was about to click it, the door unlocked. James rushed inside and found Kangning on the floor, gasping for air.

"Naxi," he puffed out, "Jinsha and Baoshan. Those are the key words." All the alarms stopped sounding, doors raised back to normal and the fans began to run again. James gave a sigh of relief.

"Thank you." Q said and cut off his connection. James headed to the door and looked back at Kangning.

"If you take any more people and use them for the same thing you used Mark for, I will not try and stop him." He said, giving Kangning a hard look and left. The gun men stood still and let him pass by. James thought about leaving some of his pens around as he left but felt he should hold onto them, he might need them.


	8. Chapter 8

James guessed that Q just shut off the only air supply. James quickly took the opportunity to leave the room and shut the door behind him, leaving Kangning in a room with little air. Kangning really began to panic now. He ran over to the door and began banging on it. The lights shut off again and when they came back on, Kangning was looking a little blue.

"Q!" James yelled out, hoping Q would hear him.

"I'm not going to let Mark die beside me James. I've seen enough people die to last me a lifetime!"

The lights shut off again. James was getting a bit nervous about this. What if Q let him die in there? How will the report look?

"Open the door Q!" James demanded. He'd forgotten it was key padded when he closed it.

No response.

"Q!"

Still no response.

"Dammit Q!" He grabbed one of his exploding pens and placed it near the hinges of the door. Just as he was about to click it, the door unlocked. James rushed inside and found Kangning on the floor, gasping for air.

"Naxi," he puffed out, "Jinsha and Baoshan. Those are the key words." All the alarms stopped sounding, doors raised back to normal and the fans began to run again. James gave a sigh of relief.

"Thank you." Q said and cut off his connection. James headed to the door and looked back at Kangning.

"If you take any more people and use them for the same thing you used Mark for, I will not try and stop him." He said, giving Kangning a hard look and left. The gun men stood still and let him pass by. James thought about leaving some of his pens around as he left but felt he should hold onto them, he might need them.


	9. Chapter 9

Mark woke up feeling better than he did earlier but did not feel 100% yet. He tried to sit up but a hand on his shoulder forced him back down.

"It's best if you don't move around just yet. That virus did a number on your system." James said behind him. Mark gave in and remained where he was.

"I've almost done the repairs and then you should be as good as new." Q said in front of him.

"You got the code?" he asked weakly.

"It took some persuasion, but we finally got what we were looking for." James said and looked over at Q. Q ignored his gaze and focused on his computer screen.

"What did you do?" Mark asked, really curious now.

"Let's just say that Q is scarier with a computer than I thought possible." James said, still looking at Q.

"He had what I needed and I was going to get it from him. I always do." Q said.

"How?"

"I'll give you the details later but right now I need you to rest so I can finish up here and then I need some sleep. We've been up a good 30 hours." Mark had so many questions he wanted to ask but could feel himself drifting into sleep.

"James." Q said finally. James came into the room to acknowledge that he had heard him.

"What happened earlier…I shouldn't have lost my temper like that."

"No, you shouldn't have. To be honest, I was afraid you were going to kill him."

"I was considering it. To do something like that to a human being." He shook his head. "Computers I can understand but to a boy?"

"A boy who still has his spots?" Q allowed a corner of his mouth to curve into a ghost of a smile.

"If I had killed him…I'd be no better than them."

"But you didn't. That's what makes you different from people like them."

"Would you have?"

"What? Killed him? No, I'd interrogate him. Perhaps a good slap here or there." James picked up a drink he had made for himself.

"How much longer till everything is done?" James asked before Q could continue the subject.

"Give me about an hour to make sure everything is running efficiently and then I shall need some sleep before we head back."

"Sleep on the plane home."

"We're not taking a plane. I despise flying."

"We are not taking the bloody train home from China." James told Q.

"I'm not getting on a plane." Whined the quartermaster.

"You are booking us all on a flight back to London as soon as you are finished here. That's final." James said darkly. He was not going to put up with this sort of thing right now. Q muttered under his breath and got back to work. James took a nap in the meantime.

Mark woke up only this time to find the place completely quiet. James was asleep on his bed and Q had taken Mark 's bed. He assumed that he was not afraid of James trying anything considering they were all dead tired. Not that Mark thought James would actually try anything too…drastic. James was not that sort of man…at least Mark didn't think so.

Mark got up from the couch and walked over to the window. He had never really seen any of China since he arrived. The city was still quiet as the sun creeped up from the left. "The sun rises in the east." He said to himself. It looked like New York might if it had a bunch of neon signs that were in Chinese characters. He thought of his home back in London.

He missed home, his family and the comforts of his own bed. It was a long ways away and Mark knew he had a long ways to go still until he could see it again. He looked over at the two MI6 agents, asleep on the beds. He owed them his life. He didn't know how, but he wanted to make it up to them. He'd have to find a way to thank them. If he didn't he was afraid his mom might. That would be embarrassing. A nineteen year old man having his mother thank MI6 for him. Mark shuddered at the thought.

His stomach growled and he decided to look in the small fridge to see if there was anything to eat. All he found was take out boxes. Mark wondered if he should take some or leave it till later. He didn't want Q to start yelling at him.

"Hungry?" A voice behind him asked. Mark nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Geeze, you scared me." He puffed out. James took one of the containers and handed it to him.

"This isn't Q's dinner is it?" Mark asked.

"Do you take me as a man who would offer someone, someone else's dinner?" James smiled. That would be a yes.


	10. Chapter 10

They landed in London Airport and were greeted with two company cars. They rode in silence to the new MI6 building, which was a good contrast to the plane ride with Q, who complained the entire trip.

Mark was guided through the MI6 building by James and had to go through a series of tests; medical, psychological, and another medical that was performed by Q. The last one was to make sure the nano bots were completely shut down and gradually going to leave his system.

"How long will it take for them to be completely gone?" Mark asked Q. Q looked at his charts.

"Oh, about forty eight hours. The white blood cells will break them down and flush them out of your body." It gave Mark some comfort.

"I hear you get to go home soon." Q said.

"Yeah, this is the last test then I get to go home." Mark's stomach lurched. He was sort of nervous going home.

"I'm sure your family will be very happy to see you again." Q smiled. Something occurred to Mark.

"Do you get to see your family?" He then felt very stupid asking something like that.

"I only have one family member left, so I make a point to do so. They don't know what I do for a living of course."

"No, I guess they can't." Mark looked at his shoes.

"Life at MI6 is a challenge. It does not allow for much of a social or family life. Most of us here have little or no contact with our families, while _others_ have no family at all anymore." Mark suspected Q was talking about James.

"Must suck." Was all Mark could say.

"Somewhat. I take great pride in my work and know I am making a difference here." Q looked at the screen. Mark suddenly had an image of the computer screen swallowing Q's head and wondering if Q would notice if it happened.

"Alright, all finished up here. You are cleared to go home." Q came over to hand him a notice that had his signature on it. "I wish you all the best." Q said and offered him a hand. Mark took it and smiled. He was going home.

Mark grabbed his souvenirs then headed in the direction Q said the exit was and met James in the hall.

"Q gave you the seal of approval did he?"

"Yeah, I'm good to go." Mark shook the note in his hand. He was getting really nervous now.

"My boss wants me to make sure you get home alright." James looked off into the distance. Mark knew that this was probably not James's top pick to play liaison and chauffer but he was glad for the extra support.

"Erm, you don't have to if you don't want to. I know my way home from here." Mark said quickly. He didn't want to annoy a MI6 agent.

"I'm headed that way anyways. Besides, I like seeing a job though to the end." James said and headed to the door. Mark followed. James took out his keys and unlocked a company car and hopped in. Mark climbed in.


	11. Chapter 11

They sat in the car outside Marks house. Butterflies were making their way around his stomach. He tried to be cool about it but he had a sense that James could see through his charade of coolness.

"Nice neighbourhood."

"Yeah, usually pretty quiet." Mark said. He put his hand on the handle.

"Do you want me to come with you?" James asked. Mark couldn't tell if he was being serious or just asking to be polite.

"My mom might attack you with hugs if you do." Mark warned and laughed. James smiled and put on his shades. They both got out of the car and walked up to the front door.

Mark reached for keys but realized that he didn't have any. He knocked on the door. He could hear someone moving around inside and felt like the butterflies were going to pop out of his stomach. The door opened. His mom came into view.

"Mark?" She stammered out.

"I'm a little late for breakfast, sorry." Mark said; this was one of the few times he could be a smartass and get away with it. Next thing he knew, he was being smothered by his mothers embrace and she began sobbing into his shoulder. He couldn't help but hug her back.

"How are you? Oh my goodness we thought we lost you! Did you find him?" She asked Bond,

"Yes, ma'am I did. Everything's been taken care of now. He's home for good." James smiled. Mark tried not to laugh at how much of a secret agent he looked and sounded at that moment.

"They found me and got me out."

"Out of where? Where have you been all this time?" his mother asked, wiping away tears from her eyes.

"I'd be happy to explain everything inside ma'am, if that's alright with you?" James asked before Mark could make up an excuse. MI6 had given him a cover story but he honestly forgot what it was.

"Please, come in!" She ushered them inside. Mark took a look around the home he had left over a month ago. Nothing had really changed; it was just as he remembered it. Home. James took Mark's mother into the living room and began to explain all that had happened. Mark didn't mind that some of it was not entirely true but he was glad that someone else was explaining it and not him. He entered the living room and was attacked by his mother's embrace again. James smiled at Mark.

"There is urgent business I must attend to. If you need anything, Mark, just call this number and my _partner_ will be able to assist you." James handed Mark a card with a number on it.

He walked James to the door and watched the agent walk solitary to his car. James looked back at Mark and nodded. Mark nodded back and waved. This little adventure was over. He was home and was going to live his normal life again. Whatever normal was.

"To live would be an awfully great adventure." J.M. Barrie.


End file.
